Meru Prastara and 'Pascal's triangle'
AI-drafted · awaiting admin review
The triangle of numbers named after Blaise Pascal (1654) was described in India as the Meru Prastara by Halayudha (c. 10th century), and also in Persia and China centuries before Pascal.
Independent discoveriesMathematics & astronomy
Indian claim
Pascal's triangle is the Meru Prastara of Pingala and Halayudha.
Evidence for the Indian claim
- Pingala's Chandahshastra mentions meru-prastara in a brief rule for counting metres.
- Halayudha's commentary Mritasanjivani (c. 10th century) explains it as the triangle of numbers we now call Pascal's triangle.
Commonly credited to
The triangle is named after Pascal, who wrote a full treatise on it; in Iran it is called Khayyam's triangle and in China Yang Hui's triangle.
Evidence for the other claim
- Al-Karaji in Persia (c. 1000) and later Omar Khayyam discussed the binomial coefficients.
- Jia Xian in China (11th century) drew the triangle; Yang Hui's book of 1261 preserves it.
- Pascal's 'Traité du triangle arithmétique' (written 1654) proved many of its properties; Tartaglia in Italy had used it earlier.
What historians and scientists say
The triangle was found independently in India, Persia and China, all centuries before Pascal. Halayudha's description is among the earliest; Pascal's name reflects European custom, not priority.